Like WOOLWORTH’S legendary ‘pick n mix’ (and, “oh, I better taste one!”) confection counter, the DVD EXTRAS for DOCTOR WHO – THE ANDROID INVASION presents something for every taste, whether a version of a NOW AND THEN guided by Nicholas Briggs or a retrospective dissertation of the series Producer or a television archive commercial.
It’s brave, and yet it works.
However, the least successful and wearisome is THE VILLAGE THAT CAME TO LIFE. Wearing his best navy-blue oversized padded anorak – welcome to the geeky world of DOCTOR WHO – and, probably, a Christmas pullover from 1982, Briggs’ wry humour and geniality falls flat on its face. A face that will probably tumble off if he bent over to re-tie his shoes. Well, when I say ‘re-tie’, can ‘re-tie’ no-sharp-object Velcro? The problem is that the presentation is strangely pitched; is it supposed to be ironic or serious? Perhaps, this featurette could have attempted a ‘Gatissesque’ faux documentary that was featured on DOCTOR WHO – THE GREEN DEATH DVD. Now, that was simultaneously witty and informative.
However, after the tedious came an inspirational assessment in LIFE AFTER WHO of series producer, Philip Hinchcliffe, professionally presented by his daughter, Celina (a BBC NEWS presenter-reporter). Balanced in its approach, the featurette – a version of THIS IS YOUR LIFE – is truly absorbing, and demonstrates that, yes, as Phil Collinson has discovered, there is life after leaving the drama series.
In the days even before the Denys Fisher action figures of the Fourth Doctor and Leela, the only way to re-create your favourite DOCTOR WHO characters was to either make your own (in the best spirit of BLUE PETER and PVA glue) from plastic pots (for daleks) or an Action Man covered with silver aluminium foil (for cybermen). But, in 1976, the high-fibre breakfast cereal, WEETABIX plastered their boxes with DOCTOR WHO scenarios and ‘games across time:space’ and entombed within stand-up illustration cards featuring a menagerie of aliens. Not only did this satisfy DOCTOR WHO fan’s appetite for more series branded toys & games but ensured that fans had the best bowel movements throughout the year (“Mum, we need more WEETABIX because I need to collect all the figures”).
Even like a year’s horde of breakfast cereal, the EASTER EGG is, whilst not chocolate, is just as satisfying. It presents nearly eight minutes of sound location rushes from 26 July 1975.
The COMING SOON trailer is for DOCTOR WHO – THE SENSORITES. How they make such a dull story so exciting is spellbinding.
DVD COMMENTARY is with Philip Hinchcliffe, Milton Johns (Crayford), Marion MacDougall (Production Manager), Martin Friend (Styggron), with moderator, Toby Hadoke.
On the opening film location scenes, Philip Hinchcliffe: I was rather impressed by all the filming in the beginning. Puts the viewer on edge. THE AVENGERS style action.
On Tom and Elisabeth, Philip Hinchcliffe: They do a good job on this one!
On Tom Baker, Milton Johns: Very very easy to work with. Patrick Troughton was a fine, fine actor; not easy to get to know. An intensely private actor. Tom took it very seriously.
On the “supporting actors, Philip Hinchcliffe: The problem was to stop the ‘extras’ mincing as they run. Got them to run like men.
On finding correct locations, Marion MacDougall: You can’t believe how different it was to find the right Oak tree.
On the deserted village scenes, Toby Hadoke: The silence is beguiling. Barry Letts has set it up perfectly.
Philip Hinchcliffe: (He is) one of life’s gentlemen. Barry is one of the great producers of the show. He brought it into a new age.
Milton Johns: He brought calmness. Very receptive. He knew how actors worked.
Marion MacDougall: A masterclass of how to do it (directing DOCTOR WHO).
On producing DOCTOR WHO, Philip Hinchcliffe: An unalloyed joy to do. I was impressed by Dudley Simpson (music composer). He understood the show at pitching it (the music) for the show and literally had only a few days to record it.
On the recording format of the series, Milton Johns: A style of TV that has all but died out. A halfway house between film and theatre.
Philip Hinchcliffe: They (BBC WALES) are making a mini-television movie nowadays.
On the difficulty of the Styggron mask coping with speaking, Philip Hinchcliffe: We gave you too much dialogue, Martin.
Martin Friend: Impossible.
FACT: It’s 1976 and this story uses the word ‘Android’ for the very first time. Derived from the Greek, ‘Man-like’.
On appearing in a series like DOCTOR WHO, Milton Johns: This was ‘bread and butter’ television when we did it.
On the Guy Crayford’s face addition, Milton Johns: Give an actor an eye patch and you can’t go wrong.
On the post-production of DOCTOR WHO, Philip Hinchcliffe: We had no post-production other than editing scenes by cutting them out. You couldn’t do any visual effects at all!
FACT: Both Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen were smokers at the time.
On the absence of the Brigadier, Philip Hinchcliffe: Nick Courtney couldn’t come back on either occasion when asked.
Milton Johns: I knew Nicholas before EQUITY days. We enjoyed going (horse) racing and spending many a day at Kempton Park.
On the NEW SERIES from BBC WALES (2005- onwards), Philip Hinchcliffe: It’s a celebrity show. More showbiz orientated.
So, Terry Nation's DOCTOR WHO - THE ANDROID INVASION may not be the original of plots (it was too similar to the previous season's DOCTOR WHO - TERROR OF THE ZYGONS for comfort) and, at times, the dialogue staid and predictable (it was augmented by series' script editor, Robert Holmes, and the lead actors) but it is a prime example of intrigue, honesty and adventure that continued Philip Hinchcliffe's darker tone.